Photo by Zack Smith
own French Quarter paranormal experiences , not published elsewhere . This should give you some time to think about your own answers to the questions I posed before I share my own .
During the 2008 remodeling of an Orleans Street property , I was continually visited by a tall ( compared to me ), thin , African-American spirit with a broad smile . His distinct odor usually alerted me to his presence . I wasn ’ t afraid of him , but rather unnerved by the intensity of his frequent fascination with me . Months later , I shared a descriptor of the entity and his activities with my landlord Earl Bernhardt , the creator of the French Quarter ’ s famous Hand Grenade cocktail and then-owner of multiple establishments . Earl listened while raising his eyebrows , then chuckled when he shared that I caught the attention of Fred Staten , known in New Orleans for many years as “ Chicken Man .” Chicken Man was a Voodoo Priest famous for biting off the heads of live chickens during Voodoo ceremonies . Earl shared that he had allowed Fred to stay inside the property in question , more than once . What he didn ’ t tell me was that he had Chicken Man bless more than one of his businesses , and that he had paid for the Chicken Man ’ s Jazz Funeral and burial after Staten died in 1998 . I ’ d like to note that Earl , a fellow Jimmy Buffet Parrot Head , was
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